Dogs of War
by Xandrya
Summary: The body of a strange creature shows up at the BPRD Headquarters and no one can identify it. A strange and powerful object is found within the corpse. What could this possibly mean? Hellboy and the team are determined to find out. Comic-verse.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** _Hey there! This fanfic is based in the Comic-verse and set before Hellboy resigns from the Bureau. That means that some characters (such as Johann Krauss and Ben Daimio) will not be appearing in this 'fic. The majority of characters are owned by Mike Mignola (honestly, that man is a genius). Plot concept, some of the creatures, and all OCs (especially Dawn seeing as she's one of my favorite original characters) belong to me. Bits and pieces of it are based on a role-play with my friends but none of their characters are used. I just had to use the creature I created for it in this fanfic. I loved it too much. Enjoy. :)_

**Chapter One**

The glaring lamps above shed a yellowish light on the stainless steel table below. A woman in about her late twenties or early thirties was leaned over the table, looking down at the body on it, laid open so the autopsy could begin. Her dark brown, curly hair was tied back in a ponytail to keep it out of her way and a white lab coat hid her black uniform from view. A white mask hid her face and the look of disgust on it at the rank odor emanating from the dead thing on the table before her. Man, this thing sure did stink!

The monster was covered in dark grey fur with patches of black scales around its eyes and a long line along its spine. The muzzle was long, much like that of a wolf with large, triangular ears that seemed to dwarf the skull in comparison. The back legs were longer than the front ones, obviously used for jumping and the tail, the person who found it had said, was definitely prehensile. The beast was roughly the size of your average cougar, but decidedly _not_ feline. In fact, Dawn Henson of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense could not identify this animal at all.

"Any idea what we've got here?"

Dawn's glasses flashed in the bright lighting as she lifted her head to see Hellboy standing in the doorway. The red-skinned demon had his arms crossed over his broad chest, looking at the creature on the table with a mixture of fascination and disgust. Some old man from a small town in Arizona had shot it and taken it to animal control officers in the area. From there, it had been shipped to the B.P.R.D Headquarters in Connecticut to try and identify the creature. Apparently, the thing had been terrorizing the little town for the past few months. Dawn shook her head in response to the question, looking down at the monster with a puzzled expression.

"I'm utterly baffled," she responded, pulling the mask off her face. "I've never seen anything like this in my life. The teeth say that it's definitely carnivorous, whatever it is. When the guys first brought it in, I thought it was some strange species of Werewolf, but I really don't think it is. The paws are plantigrade like a bear's, but they also have retractable claws like a cat. I can't figure out the scales for the life of me, but look what else I found." She rolled the thing slightly on its side so the line of scales along the spine was exposed. She squeezed the scaled skin between her thumb and index finger until a thick spike protruded from the spot. "There's a line of those all along the back. They're filled with some kind of poison so I sent a sample off to the toxicology lab to be tested." She let the animal thud back onto the table. "Got any other information for me?"

Hellboy shook his head, saying, "Kate couldn't find anything on these guys. She's searched_ everywhere_ and can't find a single scrap of information. No stories. No legends. There hasn't even been any _sightings _of these things aside from the ones we got from Arizona. No one knows anything about them."

"Curious," Dawn said. "Well, it's hard to tell if there's anything strange about anything on the inside. A lot of the internal organs have been shot to hell, but as far as I can tell, it's got all the normal stuff. A heart, a liver, a... Wait. What the hell is _that_?"

Hellboy leaned over the table to get a better look as Dawn palpated the stomach, feeling something that obviously should not have been there. The woman picked up a scalpel and cut through the thick walls of the stomach. There was something lodged in the pyloric sphincter, between the stomach and the small intestine. Dawn had to wiggle the object and tug on it a bit before it finally came free in her hand. Hellboy made a face at the smell.

"What is that thing?"

"I don't know," Dawn replied.

He followed her over to the sink where she washed the chyme off the strange object. As the partially-digested food fell away, the thing was revealed to be some kind of odd stone. It was twice as thick as her thumb and nearly twice as long with a sharp point on one end. The thing was a deep orange hue and it seemed to almost glow. Hellboy took it from her and held it up to the light, turning it so that its many facets sending faint beams of light in all directions. Dawn watched him as she pulled off her latex gloves so she could wash her hands.

"I'm amazed it managed to swallow that thing. It's a wonder it didn't puncture something important."

"I dunno, but no wonder he was so cranky. He must have had some major indigestion," Hellboy commented.

"I think we ought to take it to Manning and see what he has to say," Dawn said, staring at the stone. "There's something strange about that thing and I don't like it."

She and Hellboy both stared at the object that he held and Dawn looked worried. She wasn't a psychic, but it didn't take superhuman powers to tell that the thing was powerful. The energy about it was so strong, it was almost tangible. The way she saw it, the sooner they found out what it was, the sooner they could figure out where it came from and get rid of the damn thing. The unidentifiable animal made her nervous as well. She hadn't been with the Bureau for long, but she knew that it was very rare when Kate couldn't find _something_ on a case. Everything about this made Dawn apprehensive.


	2. Dawn's Journal Insomnia

**Author's Note:** _I thought it might be nice to give you all a little insight into Dawn's mind. The whole journal thing isn't exactly the most original idea, but I've always liked it. I thought have these little things every so chapters would be an interesting way to give you all bits and pieces of Dawn's story. Perhaps I'll write a little oneshot some time in the future about the incident that brought her to the BPRD. Who knows? Also, I'd like to add that Dawn's sisters are characters who do not belong to me. They belong to two of my very close friends, but that's a story for another time that I may delve into later. Enjoy. :)_

**Dawn's Journal - Insomnia**

I've been keeping a journal of my life here at the Bureau for some time now. It's not exactly a day-to-day thing as I often forget, and I really need to start adding dates to the pages... when I find them. I seem to have misplaced many of them, though I'm sure they're here somewhere. I suppose that, since this has become such a regular thing for me, I really ought to find a notebook or something to put all of this in. Maybe after I get all of the pages together, I can send some of them to my sisters. I'm sure Middy would get a kick out of some of the entries and I know for a fact that Twi would be interested to know why I haven't been in touch for a while. I really do miss them somtimes. Much more than they probably think.

It's very late, but I can't seem to sleep tonight. I tried reading for a while, but even that couldn't help me sleep. I'm exhausted, but it seems my mind is so busy, it just refuses to let me drift into dreams. Have you ever been so tired that you couldn't sleep? Probably not. I really hate it. Then again, my nightmare keeps returning so maybe it's a good thing I'm still awake. I think it gets worse each time I have it, but I only remember vague images. I see faces and hear voices, but they're all unfamiliar to me. I think they might be the restless spirits of the people that were killed that day. They appear to be just as unable to rest as I am... All I know for sure is that I almost always wake up in a cold sweat with the lights flickering on and off. It makes me so angry sometimes. I just want to pick something up and throw it across the room, shattering it like I shattered the lives of so many people that day. At least working for the Bureau has allowed me to focus my attention on other things. I only seem to think about it after one of my nightmares. I really do hope they end soon.

I can't get my mind off that thing that arrived on the autopsy table today, though. I've never seen anything like it before and I fear I may have to see many more of them. The report from the lab revealed the substance in the animal's spikes to be a powerful neurotoxin. It's a _very_ dangerous thing that worries me greatly. If we end up meeting up with more of these strange creatures, it's definitely something the agents are going to have to be careful of.

Still, the thing that bothers me most is the weird object found inside the monster. It sounds crazy, but I feel that the stone may in fact be far more dangerous than the animal itself. I'm no psychic (that's more of my little sister's area of expertise), so I could be wrong, but this object gives me the chills every time I lay eyes on it. I don't like being around it and I hope that we can find out what it's purpose is. It's quite obvious that there's something strange about it, but what _isn't_ strange around here?

The good news is that Manning has agreed to allow me to accompany Hellboy and Abe to Arizona. After the injury I received during the last case I worked, I was beginning to think I'd be stuck in the lab for the rest of my career. I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to get back out in the field. It's infinitely more exciting than doing autopsies on creatures I can't even _begin_ to identify. We're going to be leaving by plane first thing tomorrow morning. I'm a bit nervous, but I'm determined not to show it. I _really _hate planes...


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** _Huge thanks to the people who have reviewed and/or put this story on their alert list. I really appreciate it. It's nice to know that someone's at least interested in what I've written so far. Just a quick little update today because I've got a few essays to work on. Enjoy. :)_

**Chapter Two**

There it was. It sat coolly on the runway, the pale morning sunlight dancing mockingly across its silver surface. It was a huge and terrible monster, angry and imposing. It was a horribly ugly beast that struck fear in the hearts of all who laid eyes on it… Okay, so that's a bit of an exaggerated lie… The tiny aircraft _did_ strike fear in the heart of _one_ person, though. Dawn really, _really_ hated planes. To her, the terrifying manmade contraptions were simply grotesque caricatures of the beautiful birds that inhabited the world's skies. More importantly, they brought back some very unpleasant memories that she didn't care to think about.

Dawn stood, rooted to the spot, her pale grey eyes staring at the flight of stairs that lead up to the belly of the plane. Her frightened face seemed to have been drained of its usual warm color, starkly white in contrast to the dark locks of curly hair that tumbled gracefully down her back and across her shoulders. She looked as if she'd seen a ghost, and if someone were to mention this to her, she would probably tell him he was all too right in that assumption. Dawn was beginning to regret her decision to ask Manning if she could tag along this time. Her brow creased and she frowned as a mental battle raged inside her mind. She was trying to tell herself that, despite her fear of planes, this trip was going to be worth trying to get over her phobia for a few hours.

"You all right? You look like you're going to be sick."

Startled by the voice of Abe Sapien derailing her train of thought, the woman hastily responded, "What? I mean, yeah… I, uh, I'm fine."

The amphibious man stared at her suspiciously for a few seconds and it was obvious by the look in his eyes that he didn't be leave her one bit. When she gave him a hesitant smile, he turned at last to board the plane. Dawn took a deep breath to calm her nerves and quell the nauseous feeling stirring in her gut. _You can do this_, she told herself. _You can do this. You like to fly, remember?_ She took one final soothing breath, hefted her backpack into a more comfortable position on her shoulder, and trotted up the stairs into the belly of the formidable metal beast.

The inside of the little craft was small and cramped, the claustrophobia adding to Dawn's unease. She sat down in one of the few seats, stowing her pack beneath it. Inside of that bag, wrapped in a towel for protection, was the mysterious stone. She hadn't wanted to take it with them, but it was later decided that someone in the area might know something about it. Dawn was just fumbling to hook her seatbelt with wildly trembling hands when the engines started up and Hellboy came bounding up the staircase to plop down in the seat beside her.

As soon as the great steel bird turned its blunt beak to start rumbling down the runway, Dawn closed her eyes and gripped the armrests of her seat. She'd never been afraid of heights, or flying for that matter. In fact, she loved it. But, being someone whose body produced large amounts of electricity, she often worried what could happen if she didn't keep her abilities under control. One little spark could cause a whole shit load of problems. She wasn't willing to take that risk. When she had no other option but to travel by plane, she never wanted any distractions from anyone. She had to find her "happy place" full of happy thoughts and stick to it. The boy knew better than to bother her, even if the plane ride was six hours long. She got snappy when bothered.

Dawn was very thankful when the plane finally touched down on the runway in Phoenix. It was one of those situations where she wanted to throw herself on the ground and kiss the pavement for joy. It was good to be back on solid ground. Hellboy followed quickly after; glad to be out in the open where he could stretch again. The plane ride was over, but there was still a long drive ahead of them. The small town they were going to was up in the mountains, several miles from the city of Flagstaff. It was supposedly a nice little town, mostly full of old retired folks. Nothing too exciting ever happened there until recently.

The trio of agents crammed in the vehicle that would take them to their destination, all of their gear jammed in the trunk. Dawn had been reluctant to part with her backpack. As much as she hated that weird stone, she was hesitant to let it out of their sights. It worried her. The others didn't seem to notice, but Hellboy sure noticed that Abe got to ride shotgun yet again. The large demon wasn't very pleased to have to force his considerable bulk in the back seat of the car and Dawn had to admit that it left very little room for her to sit beside him, especially when his tail took up a good portion of the seat.

"I'm just saying that a guy like me could use a little more leg room," Hellboy said at the end of the short argument (though Abe seemed more amused than annoyed).

It was going to be a long drive and Dawn would be thankful when they got to the hotel in Flagstaff. They'd start the investigation either tonight or early tomorrow morning. She was wondering where they would begin with this whole thing. They didn't have a lot of information to work with, which made this case a particularly difficult one. Abe and Hellboy didn't seem too concerned about it and that boosted her confidence a bit. She was convinced they'd be able to find out what was terrorizing these poor people and put a stop to it.


	4. Dawn's Journal Death

**Author's Note:** _I was going to update this last night, but my weekend was kind of… not the best. Needless to say, I was a bit lacking in the inspiration department. Today was really good and it's lovely outside so I just felt much more relaxed and so I'm glad I'm able to update today. I apologize for the wait. This'll be another one of Dawn's Journal entries (in case that wasn't obvious). I dunno if these will be every other chapter or not. We'll see how it goes. :)  
Oh, and I hope that any mention of religious beliefs doesn't bother anyone. I feel like any religious beliefs are a very important part of a character's life. I hope that it doesn't offend anyone, though I don't know why it would. _

**Dawn's Journal – Death**

As I sat down to write this journal entry, I got quite a surprise when I heard a knock at the door. We just reached the hotel a few hours ago and we were all tired so when I answered the door to see Abe staring back at me, I knew something was wrong. I could hear Hellboy's deep voice talking quietly in their room just on the other side of the wall to my left. They had just received a call from the Bureau. Very bad and puzzling news indeed.

Apparently, one of the agents was attacked by that thing that I had been examining before we left for Arizona. He had heard a thumping sound in the lab coming from the freezer where the specimen's body was being kept. The poor curious fool opened it. That thing was a very big animal and had many natural weapons at its disposal. I can't imagine what that man thought when that thing hurled itself at him. They said the screaming could be heard throughout the building. It took several agents and plenty of bullets to bring the thing down and many of those agents sustained some minor wounds. Unfortunately, the man who released the monster didn't make it.

I can't help be frightened by this news. I almost feel as though it was my fault, but I know, I _know_, that creature was dead when it was on that table. It had no vital signs whatsoever and it had even begun to rot a little. It breaks my heart to hear that it injured someone, but I know for a fact that it was deceased when I performed the autopsy. There was no way that animal was a live and yet… It attacked someone. I simply don't understand it. The Bureau burned the body of the creature until there wasn't anything left to burn. I don't think it'll be coming back from the dead any time soon, but the news still bothers me.

I wonder what that man's family, if he has any, would think if they knew what happened to him. I wonder if they would understand or if they would blame the Bureau for it. I've never really knew how to handle death. In fact, I've only ever been to two funerals in my entire life; one for my grandfather when I was a teenager and one for my fiancé when I was in college. Even then, I didn't know how to deal with it. I don't think I know how to grieve or maybe I just have a weird way of doing it. It usually takes a long, long time to hit me. It was months before the full weight of my grandfather's death hit me when I was younger and I don't know if the effect of my love's death ever really sunk in even if it was almost a decade ago. I'm still waiting for those tears and I wonder if they'll ever come. Sometimes I feel like they're not really gone, only away for a while. I wonder if that agent's family ever felt that way. I wonder if he has any family to miss him at all.

I've never feared death. Maybe that's why I don't know what to think about it. I was raised a Christian and, despite all of the things that I've been through in my life, I remain one to this day. I'm not perfect (Who is?), but I've always felt that I knew where I'd go when I died. I hope that agent did, too. I think I'll pray for him tonight.

Abe came in and sat with me for a while. We didn't really talk much, but I think he knew that something was bothering me. He didn't ask, though. I think that's why I like working with him and Hellboy. They never ask too many questions. They've probably gotten used to dealing with the "new kid" whenever he or she shows up. Right now, that's me, and he and Hellboy have been very patient while I adjust to this completely alien way of life. They were the first two agents I met when I arrived at the Bureau and I'd like to think of them as my friends. They're the only ones (Well, aside from Manning, of course.) who know my full story. I don't know why I felt compelled to tell them. Maybe it's because they're some of the "special" agents and I feel like I connect with them a bit more than with the others. They make me feel like I don't have to hide who I am anymore. I've lived for so long hiding my abilities, trying to be normal and fearing I'd hurt someone. It's good to be part of an organization where I can use my powers for something good. It's taken me a year and a half to really come to that realization. I thank God for their patience.


	5. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** _Kind of a long update this time, but I'm pretty proud of this. It seems kind of rushed to me, but I didn't want it to be _too_ long. Tarja thought that the creature from the first chapter was a chupacabra. It's not, but I thought it would neat to incorporate that into the story. Also, there's some rather nasty swearing in this chapter so you've been warned. :)_

**Chapter Three**

Dawn woke to the sound of rain tapping gently against the windowpane near her bed. The sky on the other side of the glass was surprisingly dark, thick black clouds blocking out the sun and making it difficult to tell the time. She rolled over to look at the alarm clock on the bedside table. The glowing green numbers told her it was ten after six in the morning. Dawn reached over and turned on the lamp with an expansive yawn before nestling back down into the blankets. Aside from the strange smells and the thoughts of what people had done in the bed she was currently lying on, there was really only one thing Dawn hated about hotels. The cold. It seemed like every place she'd ever stayed at always had the air conditioning running all night and it always left her to wake up the next morning shivering with a runny nose.

When the clock finally flashed 6:15, Dawn rolled reluctantly out of bed to start making coffee. She showered and dressed quickly, slipping on a jacket before she walked out into the rain with her cup of steaming coffee. She walked the few feet to the door next to hers and knocked, trying to pull the coat tighter around her form to keep off the cold rain. It wasn't long before Abe opened the door and Dawn stepped gratefully inside his and Hellboy's room. The demon himself was sitting at a table that was quite too small for his size, looking rather comical sitting there eating a bowl of cornflakes and watching the weatherman on TV talk about the storm that was going to be over them all day.

"There was another sighting of those weird animals," Hellboy told her before shoveling another massive spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"According to the news, the residents are saying it's a chupacabra," Abe explained, shaking his head.

"There's no way in hell those things are chupacabras," Dawn said, frowning. "They don't match the descriptions at all. If they had, Kate would have been on it in an instant."

"Our thoughts exactly," replied Abe. "If it had been a known creature, one of you would have recognized it. Chupacabra sightings are too common. This is different. You'd better finish your coffee and have some breakfast, Dawn. We're leaving in twenty minutes."

They drove out of Flagstaff in the car they'd taken from Phoenix. With Abe in the driver's seat, Hellboy was happy to be able to ride shotgun and Dawn was grateful to have more room in the back seat. After all, it was very difficult to read through police reports when a big red tail was constantly in the way. She mentioned this and Hellboy grumbled something indistinct under his breath, though he knew she was only teasing him. Dawn grinned and flipped through the folder, reading through the testimonies of the people who had supposedly seen these creatures. Several of them had claimed to have seen more than one. She felt a shiver run down her spine at the very thought. How many of these animals were out here? One was bad enough in her opinion.

Abe pulled off onto a narrow dirt road that wound its way through the mountain forest. It was eerie being the only car on the deserted back road and the storm, which was growing in intensity, didn't make it any more comforting. It wasn't long before the black car rolled to an easy halt on the side of the empty road. The three agents exchanged quick looks before the trio exited the car. This was the area of the forest where many of the sightings had occurred. Dawn wondered why anyone in their right mind would be out here, especially considering most of the people who had seen the animals had been out at night. Who would want to be out _here_ in the middle of the night? It didn't make sense to her.

The deep growl of thunder rumbled through the clouds overhead as the three of them split up to more thoroughly comb the area. Dawn didn't like the idea, but she kept her mouth shut. It seemed hazardous to be too far from the other two, but if they weren't afraid, maybe she shouldn't be either. She turned up the collar of her coat against the wind and shifted the pack on her shoulders. The rain was coming down harder than ever, soaking quickly through her clothes and making her shiver. When she'd thought of coming to Arizona, she'd thought it would be warm. She'd forgotten that up in the mountains, it was much cooler than down in the deserts. She should have brought a warmer ja-BANG!

The sound of the gunshot made her jump and stock in her tracks, the birds in the trees nearby shrieking and taking flight in fear. Dawn ran through the pelting rain in the direction the sound had come from. She and Abe arrived at the same time to see Hellboy standing with his gun pointing at a tree. They could just make out the shape of a human cowering behind it. What was he doing all the way out here? He must have caught Hellboy by surprise to warrant getting shot at.

"Come out from behind there," Hellboy said, lowering the weapon only slightly. "What are you doing out here?"

The man limped out slowly and cautiously from behind the trunk of the tree, glaring maliciously at them with rheumy brown eyes. He was a stooped, bald old man with a thick tangle of grey beard and he reeked of a wholly animalistic smell. His left eye was covered in a ghostly film, obviously blind. A cigarette hung from his frowning mouth, the glowing end of it hissing menacingly as a drop of rain struck it. His frown deepened on his pale yellow face as he stumped forward to glower at them in the flashing lights of the storm.

"I should ask the same o' you lot," he growled, taking one last drag on his cigarette before dropping it to the ground to crush it under the toe of his scuffed leather boot. "This 'ere's _my_ territ'ry and I don' much like tresspass'rs."

"We're from the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense and we're here to investigate some sightings of some strange creatures," Hellboy said, tightening his grip on his gun. He didn't like the look of this fellow.

"We were told no one lived on this property, Mr…" Dawn began, realizing he hadn't mentioned his name.

"Ye can call me Howard," he said gruffly, "An' I own this territ'ry seein' as no humans live 'ere. I've heard o' you B.P.R. D. folks. If yer lookin' for Werewolves, I'm legal."

"Excuse me?" Dawn said, perplexed.

"I'm legal," the old man repeated. "I's got all my gov'ment papers if you wants to see 'em. I haven't killed no humans since the sixties when I's turned."

"We're not looking for Werewolves," Abe said. "We're looking for something else."

"Big grey animals with nasty tempers," Hellboy explained.

"Oh, yer lookin' for _those_ things," Howard said and a dark grin spread across his face, baring pointed teeth. "Right nasty things they is. Meaner than snake shit. I seed them take off with some woman the oth' night. Serves 'er right for gallivantin' way out here with that man. I tell ya, these humans get stupider an' stupider ever' day."

"What man?" Dawn asked.

"Why, that man that roams 'bout these woods," the old man said grimly. "I tells him and tells him to get out of my territ'ry but he ne'er listens. He controls them wicked critters. Calls them his 'dogs.' How anyone can call those monsters _dogs_ is beyon' me, but he does it. He's a right pow'ful man, too. I ain't ne'er met no one like him in my life."

"Powerful?" Abe inquired. "How so?"

"Dunno. Says he's a 'psychic vampire' or some crazy bullshit like tha-"

Howard didn't get to finish his complaint. Something growled from behind him and he spun to look at it, cursing as a huge grey beast leapt at him to sink its fangs into his stomach. He screamed and Hellboy shot at the animal, missing. Another one of the creatures swung down from the tree Howard had been hiding behind, holding on to the branch with its tail for a few seconds like some kind of mutated opossum before dropping to the ground. Meanwhile, yet another of the monsters came in from the darkness of the forest to attack the wounded Werewolf.

"Get the fuck offa me!" Howard was shouting, clawing at the animals as they tore into his flesh. "What the fuck are you all standin' 'round f-"

One of the grotesque 'dogs' sank its teeth into the Werewolf's neck and blood flowed freely from the wound as it drug the man into the forest. A colorful swear issued from Hellboy as he raced after them, shooting several times at the creature. The other two turned on the remaining agents. Abe's gun was in his hands in a flash, but Dawn wasn't that quick.

One of the animals leapt at her, knocking her to the ground and causing her to drop the weapon. She wrestled against the creature, trying to keep it's snapping, slavering jaws from her throat as it snarled at her and dug its claws into her shoulders. She immediately directed electricity into the monster's body and it retreated with a yelp, obviously angered. It came at her again and Dawn panicked, skittering backwards in the mixture of blood and mud on the ground before kicking the beast smartly across the jaw. The monster growled, mimicking the thunder in the sky above as it advanced, the spikes along its spine protruding from beneath the skin.

Dawn's eyes were wide with fear as she continued to retreat and suddenly her hand felt the cold metal of her gun on the ground. She lifted it and squeezed the trigger several times, closing her eyes and looking away. Most of the bullets whizzed uselessly into the darkness of the trees, though one grazed the creature's cheek, exposing the muscles, and another burned across its flank. She heard one more shot, but it wasn't hers. Dawn cautiously opened her eyes and the animal was still standing, its eyes glazing over as the blood ran down its muzzle from the hole in its head. It whined once and slumped to the ground, seemingly dead.

"You're a terrible shot," Abe commented, helping the woman to her feet. There was a deep gash in his arm, but other than that, he seemed fine. "I'm going to have to teach you how to shoot one of these days if you're ever going to make it in this job. You're worse than Hellboy."

"I resent that remark," Hellboy said, appearing behind them. He looked grim as he said, "That old man didn't make it. I tried to get that monster off him, but more of the sons of bitches dropped out of the trees."

"I think we'd better get the hell out of here before they come back for us," Dawn suggested. "Besides, if that one back at headquarters woke from the dead, I'd hate to see what these ones will be like if and when they do get up."

**Another Author's Note:** _I've done some research on psychic vampires, but the one in this story will have a bit of a twist to it so you'll just have to see how everything ties together. I kind of felt bad for killing off Howard, though. I had originally planned to keep him in the story for a bit longer, but that didn't happen. Poor guy was pretty rough but after writing all of his dialogue, I got kind of attached to the old fella._


	6. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** _Sorry it took me a while to update. I was going to update this last night, but something came up and I didn't have the time. Anyway, I apologize for the wait. _

**Chapter Four**

"Oh, stop being a baby and hold still!"

Dawn was dabbing at the wound on Abe's arm with a cotton ball. The cleaning solution from the first aid kit burned like a bitch, but he obeyed ceased his wriggling. The cut was deep and Dawn told him that he probably needed stitches, but Abe just shook his head and told her to clean it out and wrap it up. Hellboy was discussing something with Kate on the phone while Dawn bandaged Abe's injured arm. Hellboy put the phone on speaker so that everyone could hear what Kate was saying and sat on the end of the bed.

"Psychic Vampires…." Kate's voice came from the phone and the other agents could hear the rustling of papers. "I've been doing a bit of research and it seems you may have some trouble on your hands."

"What else is new?" interrupted Hellboy.

"Well," continued Corrigan, ignoring the demon, "just like normal Vampires are known for draining the blood of humans, Psychic Vampires drain energy from their surroundings, particularly life forces. They're pretty rare these days so there aren't a lot of reports on them." There was more shuffling of papers. "But they've been known to draw energy from supernatural forces as well, say… a pyrokinetic's fire energy or…"

"The electrical energy from someone like me," Dawn finished for her.

"Precisely. I don't know where these weird animals come into play, but this guy sounds like he means business if he sent them after that old man for giving you information."

"That could have just been a coincidence," Dawn said hopefully.

"I don't think so," Abe said. "Coincidences are very rare in this business."

"I've gotta agree with Abe on that one," Kate said. "I've gotta get to work on some things. Just be careful out there, okay? When are you leaving again?"

"Tonight," Hellboy said decidedly.

"All right. Good luck and be safe."

"Bye, Kate."

Dawn excused herself and walked the few feet through the rain to her own room. She opened the door, flipped on the lights, and stared across the room at her reflection in the mirror on the far wall. _I look like hell_, she thought, closing the door behind her. Mud tangled her dark hair and covered her clothes. The sleeves of her black t-shirt were soaked in blood from the wounds on her shoulders. She took off her muddy boots and carefully made her way across the hardwood floor toward the bathroom, trying not to leave a trail of dirt behind her.

She showered and cleaned the cuts on her shoulders. Thankfully, they weren't very deep and the bleeding had stopped some time ago. Her shoulders were going to be sore for a while, but she'd live. Dawn put on a clean shirt as she exited the bathroom and sat on the edge of her bed, the old springs of the mattress groaning in protest. Her pack sat next to her and, without knowing why, she pulled it close to her and unzipped it.

She pulled out the stone and unwrapped the towel around it. She didn't know why she felt compelled to hold it, but she did. It still seemed to glow despite the dim lights of the hotel room. Dawn stared at it for a few moments before wrapping the towel around it once more and storing it in the backpack, which she set on the floor beside the bed. That stone still made her nervous, but she didn't really know why. She lay back on the bed and looked at the clock, deciding that she had time to take a quick nap before she left. It would be nice to get in some rest after the events of that morning.

A few hours later, Dawn woke to the sound of knocking on her door. The noise made her jolt awake and she rolled over, falling off the bed and crashing to the floor with a dull thud. She disentangled herself from the blankets and hurried toward the door, trying to smooth down her hair as she went. When she opened the door, Hellboy looked amused but he didn't say anything about her appearance. He simply informed her that they were leaving in five minutes and she assured him she'd be awake and ready to go by then.

The drive to the location seemed ten times longer than it had that morning. The agents spoke only rarely and awkward silence of the car made Dawn uncomfortable. She wondered what the guys were thinking but she pushed the thought from her mind and stared out the window at the trees going by. After what seemed like years, Abe finally pulled off to the side of the road near the area where they'd stopped that morning. Dawn wasn't excited to be back out in the cold rain, but she was thankful when the others agreed that they should stick closer together this time. Maybe they'd be able to find strength in numbers.

Dawn picked her way through the woods, this time keeping her gun in hand just in case one of those 'dogs' decided to drop out of the trees. It was hard to keep an ear out for things when the rain was coming down so hard and blurred out the natural sounds of the forest. It made her on edge and every strange noise had her jumping and tightening her grip on her weapon. She could see the shapes of Abe and Hellboy moving through the trees only a few yards away on either side of her. Their odd skin colors stood out oddly against the rich browns and greens of the woods.

The woman stepped out into a clearing and openly stared across it. A small two-story building stood on the other side of it, a small light shining in one of the windows on the second floor. Firewood was piled against one side of the house, though no smoke issued from the chimney. Scratches scarred the wood on the exterior of the house and dark stains that Dawn hoped were not blood were splattered across it in a few places. The whole place gave her the creeps and she started as a familiar voice came from beside her.

"I wonder if this was Howard's place," Hellboy said.

"I don't know, but it doesn't look friendly," Dawn replied as Abe came to stand on her other side.

**Author's Note: **_I'm really not fully happy with this chapter. :| I don't know why, but I'm just not satisfied with it. I'm too tired to change anything tonight, but I may rewrite it at a later date. For now, though, this will have to do._


	7. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** _It's been a few days since I've updated. Sorry 'bout that. I've been pretty busy with schoolwork and scholarship applications. Preparing for college is a pain in the ass. I can't wait to be done with high school, though. Anyway, I apologize for the wait and I hope you enjoy this chapter. _

**Chapter Five**

The tiny clearing was eerily dark as they cautiously advanced toward the house. The lightning seemed to have calmed and the velvety shadows closed in around them. The low grumble of thunder overhead was quiet like the throaty growl of a lioness, lying in wait and ready to pounce on the unsuspecting prey below. The forest was strangely quiet save for the odd sounds of the agents' boots as they moved across the muddy grass and of the roar of the rain that was deafening in the unearthly silence. The closer they got, the creepier the house appeared.

Dawn placed a hand on the weather-worn wood of the door and gently pushed it. The door swung open slowly with a loud creak that was reminiscent of a cliché horror film. She pulled a flashlight from her belt and clicked it on, sweeping the narrow yellow beam across the room that appeared to be a kitchen. Through the dust moats that floated lazily through the light, she could see a rusted stove and an old refrigerator, obviously long unused with the door ajar. The flashlight beam fell on something lying on the floor and Dawn froze with a sharp intake of breath.

The grey beast lifted its sleek head to stare out at the world with white eyes that were hauntingly blank. What looked to be a human arm lay between its large paws and a piece of flesh hung from its parted jaws. Dawn was almost positive the thing was blind by the way it swung its head back and forth, trying to figure out which direction the noise had come from. She liked to think the sound of the rain had thrown it off. It cocked its ridiculously tall ears in the direction of the door, listening. Dawn pulled her body out of the doorway, covering the beam of the flashlight with her hand.

"I don't think this is Howard's house," she whispered, eyes wide with fear.

Abe and Hellboy peered curiously over the woman's shoulders and into the kitchen. In the inky blackness, all they could see was the outline of the creature as it wandered blindly across the peeling linoleum floor, head swinging to and fro like a pendulum. They could hear it sniffing loudly and just barely see its huge ears rotating atop its head. It was aware of their presence even if it couldn't find them. A soft voice could faintly be heard from within the house and the lanky monster ceased its search abruptly. It padded off back across the floor, pushed the kitchen door open with its long snout, and disappeared.

After several agonizing minutes, the three agents slipped quietly inside. Dawn's muscles ached from standing still for so long. The house was small, but they decided to split up; Abe taking the basement, Hellboy taking the main floor, and Dawn taking the upstairs. She wasn't exactly excited about the, especially considering that they didn't know how many of those 'dogs' were in the house. And if the man Howard had spoke of was here, they could be in trouble if they were alone. It took her a while to work up her courage before they split up. She always felt so afraid at times like these and they guys always seemed to take it so casually. She envied them for their bravery.

The staircase that led to the second floor looked pretty rickety and the handrails were missing in several places. The old stairs groaned beneath her weight and clouds of dust rose gently each time her boots connected with the wood. She had returned her flashlight to its place on her belt, fearing that she might wake more of the slumbering animals if she happened to come across them. She had her gun in hand, though. She wasn't going to make another mistake and get attacked before she could even draw the weapon. As Dawn approached the top of the stairs, she slowed her pace dramatically, listening over the loud pounding of the rain on the roof as the same voice from earlier drifted to her.

She couldn't understand the quiet susurrations no matter how intently she listened, but the voice was quite obviously male. The door at the far end of the hall opened, light from the room spilling across the stained carpet, and the thin form of the old blind animal slunk down the corridor, head held low. It almost looked like a child walking away from a stern talking-to. Dawn stood stock still, every muscle in her body tense as bowstrings and ready to flee at any moment. As the creature approached her place, it stopped and cocked its head to the side before lowering its muzzle to the ground and snuffling the carpet in Dawn's direction.

She held her breath and her heart began to race, beating such a furious tattoo against her ribcage that she thought it might just burst through her chest. Surely that monster, with its keen hearing, could pick up the pounding that filled her ears and threatened to deafen her. The creature came closer and Dawn pressed herself closer to the wall, the step beneath her creaking loudly. _Oh, shit._ It picked up its head quickly as Dawn squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it wouldn't find her. It was similar to the childish "if I can't see it, it can't see me" tactic but, then again, it couldn't see her anyway.

A low growl issued from its maw but it sounded almost uncertain, and when Dawn peeked at it, she could see that the spikes along its spine were visible. It approached her cautiously, almost timidly, and craned its neck to touch her right hand with its cold, leathery nose. It hadn't expected that and it retracted its head quickly, a high-pitched whine coming from it. It truly was almost doglike and this confused Dawn. It stared at the place where she stood with those queer sightless eyes before slinking down the steps. Why hadn't it attacked her?

When the animal had melted into the shadows at the bottom of the stairs, Dawn let out the breath she had held, though her heart was still pounding away. This case got stranger and stranger. She stepped up into the hall, walking slowly and cautiously across the worn red carpet, hoping that the wooden floorboards beneath it weren't as squeaky as the stairs had been. She was halfway down the corridor when a clang came from the floor below. She turned swiftly, tightening the grip on her gun as she looked toward the stairs.

"Why, hello there."

The cool voice, smooth as silk, came from behind her. Gasping, Dawn turned back around, the gun in her hands shaking unsteadily. She hadn't heard the man's approach and it had certainly given her a fright. He stood at the other end of the hall, nothing but a shadowing silhouette in the pool of light from the open door. Dawn slowly took a few stealthy steps backward, retreating toward the stairs.


	8. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** _This chapter has made me so angry. I've had the thoughts for it in my head for a while now, but I just couldn't seem to sit down and type it all out without getting distracted. I really hate when that happens to me. Originally, I had a completely different idea of what was going to happen in this chapter. Obviously, it's changed. Weird how that happens, huh? My own writing always seems to surprise me…_

**Chapter Six**

Abraham Sapien walked slowly down the concrete steps that led to the basement, moving cautiously and silently. He could hear the muffled sound of Hellboy's hoofed feet moving across the hardwood floor overhead. Despite the darkness around him, engulfing him deeper and deeper into the inky abyss as he descended, he didn't have any difficulty seeing where he was going. These stairs seemed to go on forever and the air felt like it was getting colder the farther down he went. For a moment, he vaguely wondered what he had gotten himself into.

Finally, he reached the bottom of the seemingly endless flight of stairs and peered around the corner into the small room beyond. Even in the darkness, he could see them. At least a dozen of the animals lay on the cold cement floor. Several of them were fighting over something and Abe could only assume it was the corpse of the missing woman. The others appeared to be dozing off, probably too full and content to care much about the squabbling going on among their fellows.

The crash from the floor above made every being in the basement jump with surprise, Abe included. The bickering between the animals ceased and they were all on their feet, growling in unison. The agent retreated up a few steps quietly, listening to the sound just on the other side of the wall. When he heard the sound of the heavy paws hitting the cement at a run, Abe turned and sprinted up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. He didn't need to glance over his shoulder to know the strange beasts were following him up to the main floor.

Hellboy had been searching through one of the rooms on the ground floor when the animal came back down the stairs. He didn't have time to wonder if Dawn had run into it before the monster crashed into a coffee table, knocking over the lamp that rested on top of it. The sound made Hellboy jump and he tightened the grip on his gun, watching the creature stumble about blindly, skittering across the hardwood floor on spindly legs that were too long for its body. It wasn't long after the thing had scrambled back into the kitchen that he heard the commotion in the basement.

When Abe burst through the basement door and into the sitting room where Hellboy stood, the two didn't need to speak to communicate what was going on. They had company and it wasn't friendly.

"You're not going anywhere."

Dawn halted mid-step. He had obviously seen her subtle attempt to move back toward the rickety staircase. As he advanced on her, she could more clearly see his form in the light from the doorway behind him. He was a tall, scrawny man with short sandy blond hair and steely blue eyes that stood out vividly against his pale features. His clothes were ragged and dirty with mud splattered across his worn sneakers. He certainly didn't _appear_ intimidating in the least, but he exuded an air of authority and power that made Dawn recoil from his icy gaze.

"Where is it?" he questioned, that smooth voice a deadly whisper.

"Where's what?" the woman asked, clearly confused. She thought about sprinting for the stairs but decided to hold her ground.

"Don't play stupid with me," he snarled, advancing another step; Dawn retreated a step in return.

"I assure you that I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied evenly, surprised at her own courage.

"Lying little bitch."

There was no more hesitation. As he lunged at her, Dawn turned quickly and made for the stairs, but she didn't get far. The man tackled her to the floor with a crash and the two rolled down the short hallway, dangerously close to the staircase. She squirmed and pushed him, but he refused to let go. The backpack slid off her shoulders as she attempted to wriggle free of his grasp and the pack thudded down the old wooden stairs loudly. Dawn was desperate and did the first thing that came to her mind. Let loose a large amount of electricity.

She had expected the man to release her and scramble backward in fury, but it didn't happen. Instead, the man threw his head back and laughed, the chilling sound resounding through the empty house. Kate had been right. Her powers didn't have any effect on this man. In fact, he seemed almost stronger now as he tried to wrestle the woman down and get her to cooperate, which was something Dawn was definitely not willing to do. He may not be stopped by her powers, but there was one weakness all men had. The peals of laughter ceased abruptly as Dawn's knee connected with the man's groin.

Dawn was on her feet in a heartbeat, but even the hurting man was too quick for her. He grabbed her arm and whirled her around to face him. She suddenly felt frozen, staring into the malicious blue eyes that burned with cold hatred. His hand gripped her arm so tightly that it hurt, already starting to bruise the flash beneath his fingers. Dawn was standing there on the very edge of the top stair with nothing but this strange and angry man holding her there. He could easily let go and she would fall backward down the staircase, probably break her neck.

"_Where is it_?" he asked yet again, squeezing her arm even tighter and Dawn let out a small cry of pain despite how hard she was trying to hold it in.

Her eyes widened in surprise as realization dawned on her. The stone! Yes, that _had_ to be it. He was looking for the stone. But why? What purpose did it serve? Dawn didn't say anything; she simply stared back into those eyes with equal malice. This guy was seriously pissing her off. He narrowed his eyes at her as if this last attempt at intimidation would work. It didn't. Dawn remained silent.

There was a loud crack and Dawn felt the searing pain on her cheek, her eyes wide with shock. How dare he slap her! Tears welled in her eyes as the side of her face screamed in pain. She ignored it and kept quiet. He looked as if he was going to strike her again, the coward, but she felt a sudden boost of strength, brought on by anger. She braced herself as best she could and threw all of her weight forward, pushing him back against the wall of the corridor. Dawn turned and sprinted down the stairs, almost tripping over her pack at the bottom.

She skidded across the floor to a sudden halt, staring at the room. It seemed like all eyes were on her, even those of the animals that were pouring like a scraggly grey river out of the basement door. She picked up the backpack and slung it over her shoulder, determined to keep the stone away from this "psychic vampire" guy at all costs. Dawn didn't know what he wanted with it, but she knew he mustn't get it. She backed up toward Abe and Hellboy as the nightmare beasts swarmed around them, growling and snapping, but never getting too close. It was clear to them now what was happening. They were making sure the agents didn't get away.


End file.
